NDA-1 2026 Paper Analysis and Expected Cut Off Marks

The NDA-1 2026 examination was successfully held on 12th April 2026. Students from all over the country got an opportunity to appear for this prestigious exam for the National Defence Academy. Since the exam has been conducted, it is now time for analysis of the pattern of the examination, the difficulty level of the examination, the good attempts, and the cut-off marks expected.

Analysis of the NDA-1 2026 Examination has been conducted by Centurion Defence Academy, the best defence academy in India.

NDA-1 2026 Exam Overview

The NDA exam consisted of two papers: Mathematics and General Ability Test (GAT), conducted in two shifts on the same day.

Subject	Total Questions	Maximum Marks	Duration
Mathematics	120	300	2½ Hours
General Ability Test	150	600	2½ Hours
Total	270	900	–

NDA-1 2026 Difficulty Level & Good Attempts

The overall level of NDA-1 2026 was easy to moderate. Candidates with good accuracy and time management could attempt a safe number of questions.

Paper	Level of Difficulty	Good Attempts (Approx.)
Mathematics	Easy to Moderate	30–35
General Ability Test (GAT)	Easy to Moderate	58–65

NDA Exam Analysis 2026 Mathematics Section

The Mathematics section of the NDA 2026 exam consisted of questions from many areas of mathematics. Here’s a preview of the topics covered, and the number of questions per topic:

Topics	No. of Questions
Relations and Functions
Conic Sections (Parabola, Ellipse, Circle & Sphere)
Sequence and Series
Indefinite & Definite Integration
Straight Lines
Binomial Theorem
Complex Numbers & Quadratic Equations
Application of Derivative
Application of Integration
Matrices and Determinants
Trigonometric Functions
Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Limits and Derivatives
Continuity & Differentiability
Differential Equations
2-D
3-D
Statistics
Probability
Permutation & Combination
Properties of Triangles
Logarithm
Sets
Vector Algebra
Miscellaneous (Number Theory)

NDA Exam Analysis 2026 General Ability Section

The General Ability section had questions from different subjects, which form the overall assessment. Below is the summary of topics with the number of questions:

Topic	No. of Questions
Ordering of words
Word classes
Antonyms
Passage
Synonyms
Sentence Completion
Idioms and phrases
Cloze test
Current Affairs
Ancient History
Medieval History
Modern History
Geography
Polity
Economics
Physics
Chemistry
Biology

NDA Cut Off – Overview

The NDA cut-off marks are the minimum marks candidates need to qualify for another selection process in the SSB Interview and Medical Exam. The cut-off is determined based on the following:

Total number of candidates
Vacancies available
Difficulty level of the exam
Marks obtained in the written exam

NDA 1 2026 Expected Cut Off

Branch/Wing	Written Exam (Out of 900)
Army
Navy
Air Force
Naval Academy

The final selection cut-off is out of 1800 marks (900 for the written exam + 900 for SSB/Medical).

NDA Previous Year Cut Off for Written Exam

Year	NDA 1 Cut Off Marks	NDA 2 Cut Off Marks
2025	334
2024	291	305
2023	301	292
2022	360	316
2021	343	355
2020	355	355
2019	342	346
2018	338	325
2017	342	258
2016	288	229

Final Selection Cut Off (Out of 1800)

Year	NDA 1	NDA 2
2025	699
2024	654	673
2023	664	656
2022	720	678
2021	709	719
2020	723	719
2019	704	709
2018	705	688
2017	708	624
2016	656	602

Key Takeaways for Aspirants

Mathematics wasn’t too difficult to attempt, but it certainly required some time and smart utilisation of that time.
English would have given you good marks with direct questions.
Apart from memorising GK, knowledge about Science and current affairs was equally important for this paper.
The probable cut-off has been taken into account in the current scenario, hence it can be counted on confidently.

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Be it coaching for the written exam or the SSB interview, Centurion has everything covered. Join us on the path to success at the No.1 Defence Academy in India.